Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Zimbabwe: Development Aid

Lord Oates: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they havemade an assessment of the effectiveness of UK Official Development Assistance spending in Zimbabwe.

Lord Benyon: UK Official Development Assistance (ODA) in Zimbabwe works primarily through multilateral organisations, non-governmental organisations and private contractors, to ensure maximum impact and targeted support for the poorest Zimbabweans. A portfolio evaluation of the UK's work in Zimbabwe under the 2016-2020 business plan is publicly available as are annual reviews for each programme.

Sudan: Arms Trade

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: To ask His Majesty's Government whatsteps they are taking to prevent arms sales from the United Arab Emirates and other third parties tothose involved in the conflict in Sudan.

Lord Benyon: There is a UN Arms Embargo and Sanctions Regime on Darfur, which the UN renewed in March 2023. There is also a longstanding bilateral UK arms embargo in place for the whole of Sudan. In our engagement with all our international partners, the UK continues to emphasise the importance of refraining from actions that prolong the conflict.

Democratic Republic of Congo: Rwanda

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government, following recent reports by the United Nations Group of Experts on the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Human Rights Watch, what discussions they have had with the government of Rwanda concerning (1) whether that government are providing logistical support to the M23 rebels to operate inside the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and (2) whether Rwandan troops are reinforcing or fighting alongside the M23.

Lord Benyon: We continue to raise the situation in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) with the governments of DRC and Rwanda to urge for an end to the violence, human rights violations and violations of international humanitarian law by armed groups including M23. On 9 April, the Prime Minister met with President Kagame and underlined the importance of a political process to resolve the situation. The Minister of State (Development and Africa) also raised this issue with President Kagame during his visit to Rwanda on 6 April. We continue to emphasise to all parties that recent mediation efforts of the Angola-led Luanda peace process should be followed with further tangible action.

UK Special Representative for Sudan and South Sudan: Public Appointments

Lord Oates: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, toappoint a UK Special Envoy for the Sudan crisis who would work to facilitate humanitarian access to Sudan and bring the conflict to an end.

Lord Benyon: The Special Envoy for the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea spends a significant amount of time on efforts to secure peace in Sudan, working closely with other envoys covering Sudan. Our HMA to Khartoum - now based in Addis Ababa - continues to engage with key international partners on achieving the UK's strategic objectives to support peace in Sudan, as do other British Ambassadors in the region.

Sudan: Community Relations

The Lord Bishop of Leeds: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support members of the Sudanese diaspora in the UK.

Lord Benyon: The FCDO maintains a relationship with, and supports, the Sudanese diaspora in the UK, including through engagement with them at events and at the monthly meeting between the FCDO and the APPG for Sudan and South Sudan.

India: Religious Freedom

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of instances of persecution on the grounds of religion or belief in some Indian states; when they last raised this with the government of India, including the High Commission of India in London; and what response they have received from the government of India.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government is committed to defending Freedom of Religion or Belief (FoRB) for all and promoting respect and tolerance between different religious and non-religious communities, regardless of faith.I [Lord (Tariq) Ahmad] discussed human rights with the Government of India, leaders of faith groups and others during my visit to India in May 2023. FoRB was also among the issues discussed during my visit to India in February. Where we have issues, we raise them directly with the Government of India, including at Ministerial level.The British High Commission in New Delhi and our network of Deputy High Commissions across India, consistently monitor human rights in the country, regularly engage with civil society and religious representatives, and have run projects supporting human rights.

Tibet: Human Rights

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they will take action following reported cases of self-immolation and suicide among Tibetan Monks protesting against the government of China; and in particular whether they have made representations to that government, including in relation to the death of monk Tenzin Dorjee.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK Government consistently raises human rights issues with the Chinese authorities, including in relation to Tibet. The Minister of State for the Indo-Pacific raised human rights during her visit to China in April, and the Foreign Secretary did so in a meeting in February with China's Foreign Minister. We also regularly raise concerns about China's actions in Tibet in multilateral fora, for example, in January at China's Universal Periodic Review, and in March as part of our Item 4 statement at the United Nations Human Rights Council.

Benjamin Netanyahu

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government when the Prime Minister last spoke to the Prime Minister of Israel.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Prime Minister last spoke to the Israeli Prime Minister on 30 April 2024.They discussed the current hostage negotiations, the importance of getting much more aid into Gaza, including via vital land routes, and Israel's commitment to achieving this. The Prime Minister reiterated the UK's support for Israel's security and made clear that our focus is on de-escalation, which is essential and in everyone's interest.

Pakistan: Development Aid

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the reply byLord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 25 April (HL Deb col 640GC–641GC), whether a percentage of the increased official development assistance for Pakistan will be allocated to education for destitute girls from the country's minorities.

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 25 April (HL Deb col 640GC–641GC), whether a percentage of development aid to Pakistan will be allocated to professional training projects for young people from Pakistan's minorities.

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the reply byLord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 25 April (HL Deb col 641GC), whether religious minorities in Pakistan will be included in the list of marginalized communities prioritised for UK aid.

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the reply by Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon on 25 April (HL Deb col 624GC–643GC),whether a percentage of aid to Pakistan will be allocated to improving the living conditionsof people from religious minorities, including the provision of fresh running water and electricity, and the creation of primary schools.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK's targeted aid programmes are working to alleviate the issues facing minorities in Pakistan. Our £46.7 million Aawaz II programme is tackling social intolerance and exclusion by supporting systemic reforms and promoting interfaith dialogue. Our £130 million Girls and Out of School Action for Learning programme is improving education outcomes for marginalised children, including those from religious minorities; by 2027, the programme will support 250,000 children from marginalised sections of society. Our £4.2 million Hate Speech and Disinformation Programme is helping to protect vulnerable groups, with a focus on making digital spaces safer for women and religious minorities. These programmes tackle broad issues which impact across a variety of vulnerable demographics. We assess that this is the most effective way of helping vulnerable populations.

UNRWA: Finance

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by theIndependent Review Group on the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA)Independent Review of Mechanisms and Procedures to Ensure Adherence by UNRWA to the Humanitarian Principle of Neutrality, published on 22 April; and what assessment they have made of the implications of the findings in that report on the UK's funding of UNRWA.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in the events that took place on 7 October in Israel are appalling, which is why we took decisive action to pause future funding to the organisation.The Prime Minister has been clear that the UK will set out its position on future funding to UNRWA following careful consideration of Catherine Colonna's final report, UNRWA's response and the ongoing UN Office for Internal Oversight Services investigation into these allegations.

Cabinet Office

GREAT

Lord Kempsell: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they plan to expand their GREAT campaign, and whether they have evaluated options for additional or alternative international brand marketing campaigns for the United Kingdom.

Baroness Neville-Rolfe: The GREAT brand has proved to be highly effective. On average for every £1 spent GREAT returns £15 to the UK economy. In the last year we estimate that GREAT has helped to generate over £900 million of foreign direct investment, £548 million of additional expenditure from international students, £210 million of additional expenditure from international tourism and over £90 million of export wins for UK companies.The GREAT brand was successfully refreshed in Summer 2021 to better reflect the diversity of the UK and update our offer to the world. It is designed to promote the UK as dynamic, outward-looking, confident and collaborative and is used in 164 countries by 26 government departments and ALBs.The GREAT Ministerial Programme Board meets quarterly to agree the strategic direction of the campaign, including new markets and sectors. As well as continuing to drive economic growth for the UK through existing campaigns, in 2024/25 the GREAT campaign looks forward to delivering new initiatives such as a GREAT FUTURES event in Saudi Arabia and a new marketing campaign in the US.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Agricultural Products: Morocco

Lord Hannan of Kingsclere: To ask His Majesty's Government what impediments remain in the waytheirambition to eliminate tariffs on fresh produce imported from Morocco.

Lord Douglas-Miller: The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA) and Department for Business and Trade (DBT) are working closely together to negotiate a balanced and equitable outcome for the Morocco Agriculture Tariff Review, which is a commitment both sides made under the UK-Morocco Association Agreement. We continue to work closely with the Moroccan government to further liberalise any remaining tariffs and maximise trade under the agreement. At the launch of the tariff review last year, we discussed a range of priority sectors, including fresh produce like fruits and vegetables which constitute around 35% of all goods imported from Morocco to the UK. Whilst we are keen to diversify the supply of imported Moroccan goods on UK shelves and seek opportunities to expand exports of British food and drink, we will ensure that this is not done at the expense of British farmers, their produce, and the seasonal nature of UK production more generally.

Rivers: Environment Protection

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government how manyriver habitats in England have good ecological status; how many are polluted by chemical waste, including raw sewage and agricultural waste; and what steps they are taking to ensure the existing regulatory framework for managingthe water environment in the UK is more effectively applied.

Lord Douglas-Miller: The last Water Framework Directive (WFD) full water body classification results in 2019 showed 16% of all surface water bodies (14% for river water bodies), in England achieved good ecological status (GES) (or good ecological potential for artificial and heavily modified water bodies), and 64% of surface water bodies achieved moderate ecological status (or potential). The next full results will be published by the Environment Agency (EA) in 2025. The headline reporting for WFD creates a simplified picture and is just one way of understanding the water environment. For example, the last classification results for England showed the 79% of elements the EA test for GES were classed at Good. Most water bodies failing to reach GES are subject to multiple pressures. The top three pressures are physical modification of water bodies, diffuse agricultural pollution and waste water management. More detailed information on water body reasons for not achieving good are publicly available on the EA’s Catchment Data Explorer. The EA has developed a Prioritisation and Early Warning System (PEWS) for chemicals of emerging concern to assess their presence and quantities in our rivers. This allows the Agency to prioritise suitable management. Additionally, EA has developed a list of priority chemicals of concern which are regularly monitored alongside appropriate measures to protect aquatic wildlife and human health. The government is committed to achieving the goals of the Environment Improvement Plan to bring 75% of our water to as close to its natural state as soon as practicable. Our Plan for Water, published last year will go further and faster towards that goal and deliver a safe, reliable, resilient supply of clean and plentiful water underpinned by increased investment in infrastructure, increased regulation and stronger enforcement.

Department for Education

Overseas Students

Lord Wigley: To ask His Majesty's Government what representations they have received from UK universitiesproposing the relaxation of restrictions for overseas students, such as rules relating to their employment in the UK after graduation.

Baroness Barran: The government seeks to ensure that the UK has a fair and robust migration policy whilst maintaining the UK’s place as a top destination for the best and brightest students from around the world. The UK has four universities in the top 10, and 17 in the top 100. The UK has a highly sought after higher education (HE) experience, which is respected by students across the globe. The government recognises the significant economic and cultural contribution that international students make to the UK’s HE sector and their positive impact on society as a whole. Ministers and departmental officials regularly engage with the HE sector on a range of issues, including on international students.

T-Levels: Student Wastage

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government how many students have dropped out of T Levels since 2020; and what percentage of those enrolling have dropped out.

Baroness Barran: The department’s recently published 2023/24 T Level Action Plan outlines the developments and next steps for T Levels. It also includes the latest student data for the programme. It shows that 5,321 students began their T Level in 2021/22. In summer 2023, 3,592 of those students were retained (68%), and 3,510 were retained and assessed (66%). Similar statistics for students that began their T Level in 2020/21 are not published. Further data about T Levels, as well as details of the methodology used in the above data can be found in the T Level Action Plan Analytical Annex, which is attached. HL4283 - T Level Action Plan Analytical Annex  (pdf, 489.4KB)

T-levels

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what research they have undertaken into (1) reasons for the dropout rate for T Levels, (2) why only 8 per cent of students taking foundation level T Levels progress to full T levels, and (3) whether T Levels or BTECs provide a more appropriate preparation for employment in different skill areas.

Baroness Barran: As relatively new qualifications, retention rates on T Levels may be expected to fluctuate. The department is keen to understand the reasons behind students dropping out of their T Level programme and have undertaken a range of research. This has included discussing the issue in routine conversations with further education (FE) providers and holding workshops with a variety of providers to explore further the reasons for students dropping out of specific T Levels. The department has also reviewed data from the Individualised Learner Record and school census to identify patterns in students dropping out of T Levels, and examined responses to the Technical Education Learner Survey (2021 and 2022) to understand student motivations for dropping out. Links to these surveys can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/technical-education-learner-survey, and https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/technical-education-learner-survey-2022. The department has also spoken to Awarding Organisations to discuss student retention on T Levels. The T Level Foundation Year is the first step on a 3-year path to achieving a T Level, for those who need it. The programme is supporting good progression to level 3 destinations in its first two years, compared with other level 2 courses. Reasons why more students are not progressing onto T Levels may include not meeting providers’ entry criteria and the early cohorts being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The T Level Foundation Year is still early in its rollout and the department will monitor outcomes as the programme continues to roll out and funding is removed from level 3 qualifications that overlap with T Levels. Research by the National Foundation for Education Research and the Technical Education Learner Surveys provide information on the early cohorts. This research can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/research-on-early-delivery-of-the-t-level-transition-programme. The department is undertaking further research with providers to identify good practice and success factors in supporting progression to T Levels. Lord Sainsbury’s report on technical education defined the skills areas suitable for T Levels, drawing on analysis of relevant apprenticeship standards, existing taught qualifications, and labour market information. All T Levels are based on the same employer-led occupational standards as apprenticeships, and these standards were led by, and updated with, employers. That means that employers and young people can be confident in these new qualifications. This is not consistently the case with the large qualifications they are replacing, which often do not support a young person to enter the sector they thought the qualification was preparing them for. For example, in the latest data for health and social care qualifications only 9% of those who complete worked in ‘Health and social care’ the following year. This data can be found here: https://explore-education-statistics.service.gov.uk/find-statistics/detailed-destinations-of-16-to-18-year-olds-in-further-education. T Levels will not be the only technical qualification available in the future landscape. Where there are occupational standards at level 3, but no T Level, the department is allowing technical qualifications to be developed, which will allow students to continue to study areas currently covered by applied general qualifications such as travel consultant, highways electrician, and personal trainer, to list a few. The key distinction here is that they will be based on employer led occupational standards, unlike the current applied general qualifications. The department will also allow for large alternative academic qualifications in areas not well served by A levels or T levels and where an academic pathway is required, such as performing arts and sport.

Qualifications

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that applied general qualifications are still available to students in future.

Baroness Barran: The aim of the department’s Post-16 Qualifications reform at level 3 and below is to streamline the qualifications landscape, simplify choices for students, and only fund qualifications that are high-quality and lead to good progression outcomes. By ensuring that approved qualifications meet new, more rigorous criteria, young people can be confident that they will be able to progress to university and higher technical education, and directly into apprenticeships and skilled employment. It will place world class A levels and T Levels at the heart of level 3 study programmes for 16 to 19 year olds, and link other technical qualifications directly with occupational standards which have been designed by employers. Students studying these qualifications can be confident that they are gaining the skills, knowledge and behaviours needed for future jobs. In the new post-16 qualification landscape, students will continue to have a range of options available to them at level 3, in addition to A levels and T Levels, there will be new technical occupational qualifications (TOQs) and Alternative Academic Qualifications (AAQs). Where occupational standards are not covered by a T Level, the department is allowing TOQs to be developed, where students can continue to study areas currently covered by applied general qualifications (AGQs), such as travel consultant, highways electrician, and personal trainer, to list a few. The key distinction here is that they will be based on employer led occupational standards, unlike current AGQs. On the academic side, current AGQs will be replaced by AAQs. There will be new small AAQs in a range of strategically important subjects such as science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) and those supporting entry into NHS careers. These qualifications are an important part of how the department will support diverse student needs and deliver skills required by the economy. Small AAQs can be studied alongside A levels as part of mixed academic programme. The department will also fund large AAQs in areas that A levels and T Levels cover less well such as performing arts and sport. AAQs must demonstrate a clear link to related higher education (HE) courses and will be assessed by the department against the new funding approval criteria. The department knows that students who take A levels have better outcomes overall in terms of progressing into, and staying in, HE than those who study AGQs. This is supported by the evidence, which shows that students progressing to HE with alternatives to A levels, such as AGQs, generally experience worse outcomes than their peers taking A levels, even after controlling for differences in background characteristics. Current AGQs also provide very mixed outcomes for students. The qualification reforms also include reforming level 2 qualifications to ensure they are high-quality, have clear purposes, and lead to better outcomes, either supporting progression to reformed level 3 study, for example via the T Level Foundation Year, or directly into skilled employment in occupations at level 2 or via apprenticeships. This means that studying a reformed level 2 qualification will lead to better long-term outcomes than studying a poor-quality level 3 qualification.

Childcare and Pre-school Education

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government what consultations have taken place with the childcare and early years sectors regarding ways to expand childcare provision.

Baroness Barran: The department is delivering the largest expansion of childcare in England’s history. Already, over 210,000 two year olds are confirmed to have places for 15 hours a week of free childcare, as part of the largest ever expansion of childcare in England, and the rates for the new entitlements have been independently confirmed by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) to be well above market rates. The department will continue to support the sector’s expansion with £400 million of additional funding provided to uplift hourly rates next year and a guarantee that rates will increase in line with cost pressures for two years after that.As part of the expansion, the department has held a number of consultations with the sector, including on proposals to support childminders and childminder agencies (closes 10 May) and on an experience-based route for early years practitioners (closes 20 May). The department is also consulting on proposed changes to safeguarding requirements in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) statutory framework (closes 17 June). The department has also consulted on the EYFS to seek views on a range of proposals to remove burdens and to offer greater flexibility for providers within the EYFS while maintaining quality and safety standards, which included changes to staff:child ratios. The department is considering all responses as part of ongoing policy development. The number of childcare places has increased by 40,000 in 2023 compared with 2018. Local authorities are responsible for ensuring that the provision of childcare is sufficient to meet the requirements of parents in their area. The department has regular contact with each local authority in England about their sufficiency of childcare, including supporting them through the department’s childcare delivery support contract where appropriate. The department is in regular contact with all local authorities and none of them are reporting that they have insufficient places to meet local demand. On top of funding reforms, the department is providing significant support for local authorities to deliver the early years expansion from April, such as:Appointing a delivery support contractor, Childcare Works, to provide local authorities with support, advice, guidance and best practice sharing to help them deliver the expansion and deliver enough childcare places for residents.Providing £12 million of delivery support funding to local authorities in the 2023/24 financial year to help them meet the costs associated with the rollout. The department will continue to work closely with the sector on the implementation of these reforms at every stage. In order to make sure there are enough places across the country for everyone that needs them, the department has already begun investing hundreds of millions of pounds to increase hourly funding rates and is allocating £100 million in capital funding for more early years and wrapround places and spaces.

Education: Standards

Lord Hampton: To ask His Majesty's Government, giventhe findings by Action for Children in its report, Above and Beyond: How teachers fill gaps in the system to keep children learning,that (1) nine children in an average class of 25 face challenges outside of school which hinder their ability to learn, and (2) teachers are struggling to support them and their families, whataction they are taking to encourage schools to employ family liaison officers to support struggling families.

Baroness Barran: The government recognises the pivotal role teachers and education settings play in safeguarding and promoting the welfare of vulnerable children and families. The department’s 2023 updated statutory guidance ‘Working together to safeguard children’ confirms that staff working in education settings play an important role in building relationships, identifying concerns and providing direct support to children. At the last Spending Review, the department announced over £1 billion for programmes to improve early help services from birth to adulthood, including delivering on Family Hubs and helping families facing multiple disadvantages through the Supporting Families Programme and the holiday activities and food programme. Local authorities working with their partners can decide to use this funding to employ family liaison officers or other professionals to support families within education settings. The department’s ‘Stable Homes, Built on Love: strategy and consultation’, announced plans to build on the strengths of these vital early help services through the implementation of family help. In the Families First for Children Pathfinder, the department is testing how it can increase the role of education in multi-agency safeguarding arrangements and how local areas can provide targeted support to help children and families overcome challenges at the earliest opportunity. The Pathfinder is running in ten local authority areas across two ‘waves’: Dorset, Lincolnshire and Wolverhampton (wave one announced July 2023) and Lewisham, Luton, Redbridge, Walsall, Warrington, Warwickshire and Wirral (wave two announced April 2024).The department is also making the ‘Working together to improve school attendance’ guidance statutory from September 2024. This sets out how schools, local authorities and other services need to work together to support pupils at risk of poor attendance and ensure support provided to these families is consistent across the country. The department’s package of wide-ranging reforms designed to support schools to improve attendance means that there were 440,000 fewer children persistently absent or not attending in 2022/23 compared to 2021/22.

Childcare

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government what actionsthey are taking to ensure their targets for additional childcare provision are met for September 2024 and September 2025, giventhe National Audit Office report into early yearsentitlements published on 24 April.

Baroness Barran: This government exceeded expectations for the first stage of the rollout to working parents of two year olds in April, with over 210,000 children accessing funded places to date, and all local authorities confirming that they are able to meet parental demand.The department is confident that parental demand will be met for the next steps of the rollout, as it was in April.The department has a number of interventions in place to support local authorities to deliver for September 2024 and September 2025, including £12 million delivery support funding and support through the department’s delivery support contractor, Childcare Works.The department is also taking action to support the childcare market to expand to meet estimated demand from September 2024 and September 2025. This includes significantly increasing rates paid to providers for government funded hours and confirming an additional £500 million to provide certainty that rates will increase in line with cost pressures in the 2025/26 and 2026/27 financial years. The department has also launched a nationwide recruitment campaign, introduced a package of flexibilities to help manage staffing pressures, and allocated £100 million of capital investment to increase physical space in nurseries and other childcare settings.

Children in Care

Lord Laming: To ask His Majesty's Government what action they are taking to reduce the number of children in care experiencing multiple placements.

Lord Laming: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to reduce the number of times children in care must change school.

Baroness Barran: The needs of the child are paramount when deciding the right care placement. The Children’s Act 1989 places a duty on local authorities to make sure that there is sufficient provision in their area to meet the needs of children in their care and ensure placements safeguard and promote the child’s welfare. Further, the guidance is clear that the child’s allocated social worker, supported by local authority management and resources, should do everything possible to minimise disruption to the child’s education and, where a child is in key stage 4, a move should only be made in exceptional circumstances. Responsibility for looked-after children sits with the local authority. The guidance and regulations of the Children Act 1989 can be found attached. Every local authority must appoint a Virtual School Head (VSH), who has a statutory duty to promote the educational attainment of all children in their care. All maintained schools and academies must appoint a designated teacher to act as a source of advice and expertise about the needs of the looked-after children on the school’s roll. Looked-after children also have top priority in school admissions and attract Pupil Premium Plus funding of £2,570 per child, up to age 16. This is managed by the VSH, who works with the child’s education setting to deliver objectives in the child’s personal education plan. Whilst the number of placements experienced by looked after children in a one year period has remained broadly stable over the past 5 years, the government recognises there are issues with finding stable placements. That is why the government has announced over £400 million in capital funding to help local authorities create more beds in their local areas which will aim to further reduce the number of children experiencing multiple placements.HL4152 HL4153 Attachment (pdf, 1746.0KB)

Treasury

Block Grant: Northern Ireland

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government by how much, and by what percentage, (1) resource funding, and (2) capital funding for the Northern Ireland Block Grant has increased from 2023–2024 to 2024–2025.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: To accurately compare the Northern Ireland Executive's (NIE’s) funding between years, it is important to compare the same point in the financial year. The most comparable figures are the 2021 Spending Review settlement for the NIE, which can be found in Table 4.19 here: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/61c495ebe90e07196d2b8383/Budget_AB2021_Print.pdf The (NIE) receives in-year funding through the operation of the Barnett Formula and non-Barnett funding provided at fiscal events and Main and Supplementary Estimates.

Housing: Sales

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the 12 per cent increase in house sales during April; and what steps they are taking to support first-time buyers.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The most comprehensive measure of UK property transactions is published by HMRC. According to this measure, residential property transactions rose by 1% in March 2024 compared to February, the third consecutive monthly increase. The Government continues to monitor developments in the housing market closely and consider the implications.

Debts: Developing Countries

Baroness Goudie: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of efforts in New York State to ensure private creditor debtor terms are equal to those of other creditors to lower and middle-income countries; and what plans they have, if any, to enact similar legislation in the UK.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The UK, alongside the G20 and Paris Club, expects creditors, including private creditors, to participate in debt restructurings on comparable terms. At this stage, the Government is not pursuing a legislative approach that would force private or other lenders to participate in debt restructurings. The Government is focused on delivering a market-based (contractual) approach to private sector participation, including taking the lead in developing Majority Voting Provisions for private syndicated loans. These promote more efficient restructurings and reduce the ability for creditors to hold out.

Public Expenditure: Northern Ireland

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the Northern Ireland Executive, since the restoration of devolved institutions in Northern Ireland on 3 February, about financial allocations from the Treasury.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The UK Government has regular discussions with its devolved administration counterparts, including the Northern Ireland Executive. Since the restoration of the Northern Ireland Executive, the Chief Secretary to the Treasury has met with the Northern Ireland Finance Minister on three occasions. UK Government officials continue to engage regularly with the Northern Ireland Executive on the implementation of all aspects of the UK Government’s £3.3 billion restoration financial package which will stabilise and transform Northern Ireland’s public finances.

Block Grant: Northern Ireland

Lord Weir of Ballyholme: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether the resource funding provided in the Northern Ireland Block Grant for 2024–2025 falls below a needs-based assessment of funding.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: As committed to in the 2024 Northern Ireland Executive restoration financial package, the UK Government will also agree a Fiscal Framework with the Northern Ireland Executive which will outline Northern Ireland’s long-term funding arrangements.

National Insurance Contributions: Overseas Workers

The Earl of Clancarty: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks byBaroness Vere of Norbiton on 12 February (HL Deb col 10) that HMRC expected processing times for A1 forms to return to normal by April, whatarethe "normal" target processing times.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: HMRC processing timescales for A1 forms are to clear 75% of online applications within 15 working-days, for postal applications it is to clear 75% within 40 working-days.

National Insurance Contributions

The Earl of Clancarty: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the remarks byBaroness Vere of Norbiton on 12 February (HL Deb col 10) that HMRC expects processing times for A1 forms to return to normal by April, what assessment they have made of progress so far, and what steps they are taking to improve processing times.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: HMRC has taken steps to address the backlog of A1 applications, have achieved their recovery strategy ahead of time and they are now achieving service levels. Since September 2023 the processing times for online applications have decreased to 6 days from 15 weeks previously, and for post applications, it is now also 6 days, down from 33 weeks. The Standard Level of Service Agreement targets for both are 15 days and 40 days respectively. As of 3rd May, HMRC has reduced the number of cases on hand to approximately 2500.

UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement

Lord Leigh of Hurley: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Vere of Norbiton on 25 April (HL3766), when theysought permission from the EU to extend the sunset clause for enterprise investment schemes and venture capital trust schemes.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: The government’s engagement with the EU Commission on the extension of the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and Venture Capital Trust (VCT) sunset clauses is ongoing. The government believes the schemes continue to be consistent with subsidy control principles and address an evidenced market failure.

National Insurance Contributions

Baroness Lister of Burtersett: To ask His Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Vere of Norbiton on 25 April (HL3770), how they intend to assess entitlement for contributory working age benefits and pensions, should they abolish national insurance contributions in line with their stated ambition.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Cutting NICs rates does not affect anyone’s entitlement to the State Pension or contributory benefits.

Department for Business and Trade

Companies: Registration

Lord Mann: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of whether criminals in China are setting up companies by fraudulently registering addresses in the UK through Companies House in order to bypass Chinese restrictions on cryptocurrency trading.

Lord Johnson of Lainston: Companies House is working increasingly closely with law enforcement to understand filing patterns. While I cannot comment on the detail of that, I am confident it will, over time, significantly improve the ability to identify and combat attempts systematically to abuse the company register.Where Chinese nationals, or others, have registered companies using addresses which they have no authority to use, the Registrar has a suite of powers - recently strengthened by the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023 - which allow the misappropriated address to be replaced with a default address. Where companies persistently fail to provide an appropriate address, the Registrar has the power to strike them off the register altogether.

Confederation of British Industry

Lord Naseby: To ask His Majesty's Government, following changes in the leadership of the Confederation of British Industry, whether they plan to renew their relationship to help business and Government work in partnership.

Lord Johnson of Lainston: The Government is focused on driving long-term, sustainable economic growth and an ambition to make the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a business. Following the changes that CBI have put in place over the past year, and the vote of confidence that their members gave them at their EGM last summer, Government is rebuilding a working relationship with the business organisation.

Ministry of Defence

Royal Fleet Auxiliary

Lord West of Spithead: To ask His Majesty's Government when they plan to appoint a newCommodore of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

The Earl of Minto: An external recruitment campaign for the Senior Civil Servant Pay Band 1 position of Deputy Director Royal Fleet Auxiliary had an application closing date of 24 March 2024. The selection process is ongoing, and the result will be announced in due course on conclusion of that process.

Defence: Expenditure

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask His Majesty's Government whether the Prime Minister’s announcement on 23 April of an increase in defence spending to a new baseline of 2.5 per cent GDP by 2030 differs from the pledge to increase defence spending to 2.5 per cent by 2030 given by the former Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, at the NATO summit in Madrid in June 2022; and whether a spending review will be required.

The Earl of Minto: The Prime Minister's announcement is for a fully funded commitment to reach 2.5% of GDP in financial year (FY)2030-31. It is supported by a commitment not to increase borrowing or debt.The current spending review period concludes at the end of FY2024-25, and a future Spending Review will formalise spending plans for the following period.

Household Cavalry: Horses

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask His Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of the appropriateness of maintaining Household Cavalry horses stabled and deployed in central London in the light of the events of 24 April, and public safety and animal welfare concerns arising from the risks of their environment.

The Earl of Minto: The British Army takes the health and wellbeing of its military working horses (MWH) extremely seriously. All of our horses are well looked after, exercised daily and have 24/7 direct access to world-class veterinary care. Before riding in public, Service personnel undertake training to prove their competence and are fully compliant with the Highway Code when exercising horses on public highways. A progressive programme of activity, including exposure to London traffic, military bands and environmental noise, ensures our horses are properly and safely prepared for their ceremonial role. The Army has three mounted units in London: the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, the Band of the Household Cavalry and King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery. All undertake State Ceremonial and Public Duties in Central London and Windsor throughout the year. Steps have already been taken to enhance the environment for our MWHs by creating more loose boxes, which provide greater space and comfort to the horses while stabled. Two to three months per year, the horses are also provided with an alternative environment by being sent out to pasture and the herd often visit Norfolk for two weeks, offering time for daily exercise in the countryside and along local beaches.

Royal Fleet Auxiliary

Lord West of Spithead: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of recent trends in recruitment and retention of civilian seafarers in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

The Earl of Minto: The Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) continues to meet all its Operational Commitments around the globe and continues to steadfastly support Royal Navy (RN) vessels on Operations worldwide. Recruitment and retention of staff are a priority for the RFA and there are a number of initiatives underway to support this. For recruitment, the RFA is fostering relationships with universities and colleges to raise awareness of the opportunities available, planning to launch a graduate engineer scheme, sponsoring academic top up schemes to attract newly qualified engineers, and introducing a mechanism for seamless transfer to the RFA for RN service leavers. In addition to this work, the RFA plans to release a focused RFA recruitment marketing campaign. For retention, the RFA is undertaking a number of initiatives which include: enhancing human resources management with more efficient, digitised processes for claims and reporting; maximising development opportunities; enabling participation in team building and physical activities; introducing a dedicated wellbeing team and creating new and exciting shore posts.

Royal Fleet Auxiliary

Lord West of Spithead: To ask His Majesty's Government what recent discussions they have had with recognised trade unions concerning the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

The Earl of Minto: The Ministry of Defence has regular scheduled discussions and meetings with both Nautilus International and the National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers in accordance with an established Partnership Agreement.The most recent discussions have taken place during April 2024.

Royal Fleet Auxiliary

Lord West of Spithead: To ask His Majesty's Government how many officers and other ranks there are in the Royal Fleet Auxiliary.

The Earl of Minto: As of 1 January 2024, there are 623 Officers and 1046 Other Ranks within the RFA.

Northern Ireland Office

Omagh Bombing Inquiry

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made any representations to the government of the Republic of Ireland to encourage them to hold a public inquiry into the Omagh Bombing.

Lord Caine: We all remember vividly where we were when we heard the news of that awful atrocity in August 1998, and I pay tribute to Michael Gallagher and the other Omagh families who have pursued their case with great dignity and tenacity. The Government is doing everything in its power to ensure that the Omagh Bombing Inquiry, under the expert guidance of Lord Turnbull, provides answers. Along with the significant powers provided to it under the Inquiries Act 2005, the Inquiry will need the cooperation of Irish agencies to be as effective as possible. I raised this directly with the Irish Foreign Minister and Tánaiste at the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference on Monday 29 April, and I am pleased that he committed to full Irish Government co-operation with the Omagh bombing inquiry. The Government’s focus is on ensuring that the inquiry has every chance of success, and the Irish Government’s role in that is crucial. At the last two British-Irish Intergovernmental Conferences, the Secretary of State and I pressed the Irish Government to cooperate fully with both the Omagh inquiry and the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery to provide information for victims and families who desire it. The Secretary of State also wrote to the Tánaiste in January, challenging the Irish Government’s own approach to addressing legacy issues, including the number of Troubles-related prosecutions brought in Ireland since April 1998.

Republic of Ireland: Terrorism

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made any representations to the government of the Republic of Ireland about (1) recognising any historic role it may have had in the forming, funding and training of the Provisional Irish Republican Army, and (2) how it may have dealt with terrorist activity during the Troubles.

Lord Caine: It is clear that the Irish Government has legitimate questions to answer regarding its record of dealing with legacy matters in its own jurisdiction. The coroner in the Kingsmill Inquest found, “the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland was “exploited by terrorists” and allowed for “… planning, training, organisation, weapons storage and retreat at a safe physical and legal distance from the authorities that would be faced with investigating terrorist acts in Northern Ireland”. It is clear that, for many families, effective information recovery will also require the cooperation of the Irish Government and its agencies. The Government continues to encourage the Irish Government to cooperate with the new Independent Commission for Reconciliation & Information Recovery to help facilitate the provision of information to families who request it, including most recently at the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference on 29 April 2024.

Northern Ireland: Terrorism

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have made any representations to the government of the Republic of Ireland concerning the coroner’s findings on the 1976 shooting in Kingsmill.

Lord Caine: The Kingsmill massacre is an appalling example of the pain and suffering inflicted by the Provisional IRA during the Troubles. The families have fought for many decades to get information and accountability from those responsible. The Government hopes that the findings delivered by the coroner have brought some form of comfort to the families affected. The coroner, in his findings, expressed gratitude for the assistance the inquest received from the Irish authorities. It is the Government’s view, however, that such cooperation should not be limited to high-profile cases. It is disappointing that the Irish Government has, to date, declined to commit to cooperating with the new Independent Commission for Reconciliation & Information Recovery to help facilitate the provision of information to families who request it. The Government continues to encourage the Irish Government to cooperate with the ICRIR, just as it has done in the Kingsmill inquest and Operation Denton. I made these points directly to the Irish Government at the most recent meeting of the British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference on 29 April.

Public History of British Policy During the Northern Ireland Conflict Expert Advisory Panel

Baroness Hoey: To ask His Majesty's Government what funding has been allocated to the work of the Expert Advisory Panel for public history of British policy during the Northern Ireland conflict; and whether the members oftheExpert Advisory Panel are being paid.

Lord Caine: The Public History expert advisory panel is independent of Government. Its members are not paid to perform their roles. The panel will be reimbursed for associated costs, for example workshops and seminars in line with recommendations made in the Pilling Report 2009 and the panel’s terms of reference.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport

BBC: Finance

Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with representatives of News UK, GB News and News Media Association regarding the membership of the Expert Panel for the BBC Funding Model Review.

Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury: To ask His Majesty's Government what advice they have received when determining whether members of the BBC Funding Model Review Expert Panel should sign non-disclosure agreements in relation to their participation.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: The BBC Funding Model Review is a government-led review, supported by an expert panel which incorporates a broad range of views from across the sector, providing advice and external challenge on the issues set out in the review’s Terms of Reference, which are available on gov.uk.The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport appointed panel members based on their expertise across relevant sectors, including television, radio, news and international relations. The members were selected in consultation with industry representatives based on their experience and knowledge of wide-ranging issues at the heart of the UK media sector, such as the role of public service broadcasters, press sustainability, and content for children and young adults. Panel membership is voluntary.Ministers received advice from officials on establishment of the expert panel, including on confidentiality agreements.

Royal Albert Hall

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask His Majesty's Government what discussionsthey have had with the Charity Commission about the governance of the Royal Albert Hall.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: As the governmental sponsor of the Charity Commission, Ministers and officials from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport regularly meet the Charity Commission to discuss a range of matters, including the Royal Albert Hall.

BBC: Finance

Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury: To ask His Majesty's Government whetherthe BBC Funding Model Review Expert Panel intends to consider the funding options contained in the 1st Report of the Communications and Digital Committee Session 2022–23 Licence to change: BBC Future Funding.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: HM Government believes that there are challenges regarding the sustainability of the BBC’s current funding model, and is therefore conducting a review of it. The panel informing that review will provide independent expertise and advice to the Government.The review is assessing a range of options for funding the BBC, including a number of the options contained in the Communications and Digital Committee’s report, ‘Licence to change: BBC Future Funding’. Given pressure on household incomes, the Secretary of State has explicitly ruled out the review looking at creating any new taxes.

BBC: Finance

Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury: To ask His Majesty's Government what meetings the Chancellor of the Exchequer had with the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport concerning the BBC Funding Model Review since the start of the current Charter year, and whether they intend to publish any minutes from such meetings.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: The Secretary of State engages with the Chancellor of the Exchequer and other ministerial colleagues on the BBC as appropriate, including in relation to the Funding Model Review.Minutes of meetings between Ministers are not routinely published.

BBC: Finance

Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury: To ask His Majesty's Government who will be consulted as part of the BBC Funding Model Review, and what criteria will be used to decide who is consulted.

Baroness Bonham-Carter of Yarnbury: To ask His Majesty's Government what form contributions to the BBC Funding Model Review will take, and whether they intend to publish all written and oral evidence submitted.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: As part of the BBC Funding Model Review, HM Government is engaging with a broad range of people and organisations.Those being engaged are submitting evidence on the basis that the evidence they provide is confidential in nature, especially given potential commercial sensitivities. There is no intention for these submissions to be made public, either in full or in part.The findings of the review will support the Government’s views on the future funding of the BBC. Any final decision on reforming the BBC’s funding model would be taken during the review of the BBC’s Royal Charter.

Film and Television: Self-employed

Baroness Benjamin: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of figures showing that 68 per cent of freelancers in the television and film industry are no longer able to find employment; and of the impact on the UK creative industries.

Baroness Benjamin: To ask His Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to prevent a decline in the UK television and film industry as a result of high numbers of workers leaving the industry because they are unable to make a living.

Baroness Benjamin: To ask His Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to appoint a commissioner for freelancers.

Baroness Benjamin: To ask His Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of (1) reduced budgets, (2) loss of advertising revenue, and (3) a changing production landscape, on the UK television and film sector; and what steps they are taking to incentivise people to work in the sector.

Baroness Benjamin: To ask His Majesty's Government what is their long-term strategy to preserve the UK television and film industry and provide employment security for its workers; and what consideration they have given to a freelancer pension scheme or fund, similar to theFrench model.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: His Majesty’s Government has a clear plan to grow the creative industries by a further £50 billion and another 1 million jobs by 2030. This was set out in June 2023 in the Creative Industries Sector Vision, which was accompanied by £77 million of new funding to support the sector’s growth. This is in addition to the range of tax reliefs for the creative industries which have been introduced or expanded since 2010, including for film and television.HM Government is already taking steps to ensure a strong, skilled and resilient workforce for the film and television sector – as well as the creative industries more broadly – across the UK. The Creative Industries Sector Vision set out that by 2030 we want to deliver on our creative careers promise to build a pipeline of talent into the sector, and to support the creation of a million extra jobs. The Sector Vision includes a long-term strategy to improve the quality of jobs and working practices in the sector, including supporting the high proportion of self-employed workers in the sector through the promotion of fair treatment, support networks, and resources (for example through Creative UK’s ‘Redesigning Freelancing’ initiative).HM Government also welcomes the steps that our public service broadcasters have taken to support self-employed workers. This includes the support announced by Channel 4 and the BBC in August, in partnership with the National Film and Television School.DCMS and the industry have also committed to produce an action plan in response to the Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre’s Good Work Review; these actions include the recent launch of the British Film Institute’s £1.5 million Good Work Programme for screen. HM Government will continue to work with the BFI and the Screen Sector Skills Task Force to support a strong skills pipeline into the sector.On pensions, the new State Pension supports self-employed freelancers as comprehensively as employed people. The new State Pension, introduced in 2016, means that self-employed people can receive a State Pension which is around £2,700 a year higher than it would have been in the previous system. The self-employed are a highly diverse group with varying incomes, assets, and employment experiences. The Department for Work & Pensions has undertaken an initial research and trial programme to test different approaches aimed at increasing private pension-saving. It is currently working with research partners, including looking at international evidence, to explore the feasibility of building and testing retirement savings solutions in digital platforms used by self-employed people to manage their money.

Department of Health and Social Care

Health Services: Legal Representation

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask His Majesty's Government what was the annual spend by the health service on legal representation at inquests in the previous five years for which information is available.

Lord Markham: NHS Resolution manages clinical negligence and other claims against the National Health Service in England. The following table shows the amounts paid in accordance with the rules of the Clinical Negligence Scheme for Trusts (CNST), to support trusts at inquests and for associated costs to investigate entitlement to compensation, in the last five years:Payment Raised YearAmount2018/19£2,968,1532019/20£2,223,0952020/21£1,614,8202021/22£1,545,1352022/23£1,623,211Total£9,974,414Source: NHS ResolutionThe CNST handles all clinical negligence claims against member NHS bodies where the incident in question took place on or after 1 April 1995, or when the body joined the scheme if that is later. NHS Resolution is not involved in any arrangements that an individual trust might make outside of the scheme.Information on the total spend by NHS trusts regarding coroner’s inquests is not collated or held centrally.

Wales Office

Prime Minister: Wales

Baroness Smith of Llanfaes: To ask His Majesty's Government how many times the Prime Minister has met the new First Minister of Wales.

Lord Harlech: My Rt Hon Friend the Prime Minister spoke to the First Minister of Wales on 20 March 2024 to congratulate him on his appointment.More broadly, I refer the Noble Lady to the answer Baroness Swinburne gave to question HL1907 on 1 February 2024.I also refer the Noble Lady to the answer given to question 21826 by my Rt Hon Friend the Secretary of State for Wales on 17 April 2024.Details of the Prime Minister’s future official meetings and visits will be announced in the usual way.

Department for Energy Security and Net Zero

Offshore Industry and Wind Power: Decommissioning

Lord Berkeley: To ask His Majesty's Government who is responsible for undertaking and funding the decommissioning and removal of (1) offshore oil and gas platforms and connections, and (2) offshore wind turbines and connections.

Lord Callanan: Following the ‘polluter pays’ principle, industry is responsible for undertaking and funding the decommissioning and removal of (1) offshore oil and gas platforms and connections and (2) offshore wind turbines and connections.The Petroleum Act 1998 and Energy Act 2004 provide a statutory regime to ensure industry fulfil these responsibilities.

Coal

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask His Majesty's Government what progress they have made in phasing out coal power.

Lord Callanan: In line with our net zero target, the Government is committed to phasing out unabated coal-fired power generation by 1st October 2024, earlier than the original 2025 target. The remaining coal fired power station in Great Britain is scheduled to close before this date. This will mean that we will have reduced coal’s share of our electricity supply from around a third, to zero in the space of only ten years.